The Road Home
Summary: AU; everyone's human. Buffy Summers dodges family and friends to escape her wedding and make it back home, single. But when she returns to L.A., she finds herself stuck with a grumpy, homeless roommate without who, she soon finds, home wouldn't be home at all.
Disclaimer: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and all associated with it belongs to Mutant Enemy, Fox, Joss Whedon etc. I own squat.

A/N: So sorry if it's late. Been a bit busy.

15. It's Just a Question…

Buffy looked up from the TV when the front door creaked open and swallowed as Will entered. Immediately, everything Tara had told her earlier started repeating itself in her head and when she looked at Will, she couldn't help but compare him mentally to Angel.

"'ello," He said before sinking onto the couch next to her, an arm thrown over tired eyes.

"Hey," She tuned down Baywatch. "Car all good?"

Not finding the energy to speak, he nodded.

"Boy, you look so tired," She remarked, ignoring the show as her concern for him shone through. "Can I get you something? Coffee?"

Finally, he looked up at her and she felt her heart skip a beat as she looked into his blue eyes. He frowned at her, though, asking, "What's with you? Bein' really nice an' all."

She rolled her eyes and shoved herself off the couch. "I'll take it that means yes. Wait here, I'll get your coffee. You can watch TV till then."

Instead, Will watched her retreating form till it disappeared from sight. Then he started thinking of what Willow had asked him to do, and what he'd promised her. It seems easier when you're in a newly washed car with a gay girl, he observed. Now, just sitting here next to her made his skin tingle with a heat that had nothing to do with the summer heat.

When she brought him the coffee, he took it with a grateful smile. "Careful," She warned him, "It's really hot."

"Now I think I should've asked for a Coke," He mused as he singed his tongue after her belated advice.

She got off the coffee table where she'd perched immediately and said, "I'll get it."

Will watched her move with astonishment then leaned forwards and grabbed her arm. "'Lizabeth!" He said, whipping her around, "What's the matter with you?" He pulled her down next to him on the couch.

She made herself comfortable on one leg, the other hanging off the couch and shrugged. "I don't know," She said as a response to his question. "I guess it's just that you helped me out so much and now you're the one who's all tired, so I should do something, I figured."

He rolled his eyes. "Really, pet, you figured wrong." He shook his head admonishingly, and continued, "You're not my servant or something, luv, that I say something and you rush off and get it." Snaking a hand around her waist, he pulled her closer. Instinctively, the tired girl snuggled into his left side. The action momentarily surprised him, but then he got over it and started stroking her back in small circles. "It's not like you, so don't do it."

"That's good," Buffy said through a yawn. "Cause if you started taking advantage of that, I'd kill you, and that would be too bad."

"Really, luv?" He asked, pleasantly surprised. "Why'd that be bad?"

Buffy shrugged, sleepy eyes drooping. "I guess because then, nobody will be there to help me make breakfast."

That shut Will up for a short time. Then he said, gruffly, "Oh, so you need me for food, do you?" He started pulling his hand away from her back, but she grabbed it.

Will looked up and saw Buffy was looking right at him. A smile seemed to dance across her lips as she said, "And there's be nobody to hug me, nobody to listen to me whine, nobody to pamper me, nobody to carry me to bed when I fall asleep. In short," She leaned towards him now, her head balanced on his shoulder. "There'd be nobody and that would make me very lonely, see."

He smirked at her blatant flirting. "So I keep you from being lonely, eh?" One eyebrow rose playfully.

She grinned, nodding, then abruptly yawned.

Will put down his cup and stood up, hoisting Buffy as he did. "Come on, luv, time for bed."

A giggling Buffy told him as he started his struggle on the stairs, "See what I mean! Horsy!"

"It's raining," Cordelia remarked as she stood at the window of her living room.

"Yeah," Angel said from behind her.

She turned to him, smiling with shining eyes. "It's so beautiful, Angel—let's go outside, please?"

He laughed and moved forwards to hug her. "Aren't you afraid your hair will get messed up?" He tucked a dark strand behind her ear gently.

Cordy smiled in return. "Not when you're with me."

Abruptly, Angel's smile faded. Suddenly serious, he said, "Cordelia, sit down. I need to ask you something."

Cordelia sank into the chintz armchair near the window, looking worried. Angel sat on the arm, holding her hand but not looking at her.

He was silent for a long time, playing with her fingers. Cordelia watched their hands, but threw occasional glances at his face. She wondered what he was going to say, and he spoke up, "You know I'm engaged, right?" She looked just at him, now. Slowly, eyes never leaving his, she nodded. He frowned at that and said, "How? I never told you."

Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, but you've never made it a secret from your colleagues, have you?"

He bit his lip. "You don't care." It was a statement, but Cordy heard the question it asked.

"No," she declared, touching his face with her other hand, "I don't care because right now, you're with me."

Angel nodded, looking behind her where he still played with her hand. "You know I love you, right?"

Cordelia's heart fluttered. She nodded, "Yes, I know."

"You know I'm going to break off things with Buffy when I have enough courage?"

"Yes," A whisper, thinking of the blonde girl she hadn't seen. "I know that, too."

"Well, do you know I plan to marry you right after that?"

"Ye—what!"

Smiling somewhat bashfully, he pulled their joint hands in front of them where she could see. And there, resting on her left finger, was a brilliant, beautifully cut ruby, set in antique gold.

"I've fed you too much," Will panted as he gently settled Buffy onto her bed. Another difference between earlier and now, his sly mind pointed out.

Buffy pouted. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

He grinned. "You're perfect, luv. Sorry, my mistake."

Huffily, she turned her back to him and looked out the window.

Her turning onto her side gave Will space to ease himself on her bed next to her. He settled quietly, boots still on, and propped his head on one hand. Looking out the window, he asked her, "Beautiful night, innit?"

She smiled. He could see her lips curl. "Definitely."

Sighing, Will threw himself back onto the bed and said, "Ever slept out on a night like this, luv? You can see all the stars. It's superb, 'Lizabeth, so many of them! But I don't think you'll see those many here in the city. Prob'ly need to go to the beach to see something like that, and—"

"Then take me."

Will frowned. Leaning up, he looked at her face, what little of it he could see anyway, and asked, "Sorry, pet, didn't catch that—what did you say?"

Mentally, Buffy cursed. "Nothing, Will," She said, a slightly bitter edge in her voice. "Nothing at all."

Will swallowed, knowing he'd done something wrong. "Well," He said through a dry throat, "Alright then, if it's nothing . . ."

"Yeah, it's nothing."

The two lay side by side in silence for a long time until Buffy gathered the courage and started a conversation again.

"So, Harmony said today that she—"

"Have dinner with me this Saturday . . .?"

Buffy froze as Will spoke up at the same time as her. She counted to five, then said,

"What did you say . . .?"

"Did you hear me?"

Again, they spoke together. She turned to face him, now, but his face was turned towards the ceiling, cautiously blank.

Buffy smiled and offered, sportingly, "You go first."

He shook his head, face still blank. "Nah, you tell me what Harmony did, now."

"No, Will what were you—"

"Will you go out with me this Saturday?" He spoke firmly, now, each syllable pronounced carefully. His eyes were still on the ceiling but when he heard nothing from her, slowly, he turned to look at her.

Buffy looked, all at once, shocked, happy, excited, frightened and guilty. She swallowed hard, and after a few moments, said, "Do you know that I'm not—"

"Engaged anymore? Yeah, Red told me. But you still haven't answered my question, ducks." He was trying to be patient, but it was hard. Especially when you had started looking at the ceiling again.

Suddenly, he heard a 'whack' and felt a stinging sensation on his forehead. Looking towards her in pain and indignation, Will froze as she smiled. The only light came from the moon outside and it cast a halo around her head, making her seem angelic. And when she spoke, his heart sang. Even if what she said was:

"You idiot." A playful ruffle of his hair. "Why didn't you ask earlier? Duh, yes!"

A/N: Let me know.